“Female Centric Faber:” Bringing Unity Through Art on Staten Island

"NYC band Superfuture plays a set at Faber Park, for Skate to Elevate's Female Centric Faber festival. Photo by Em Casey @/statenislandlocals on Instagram"

The soundscape of Faber Park on the first day of October wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary for a sunny Sunday afternoon. The wheels of skaters that flock to the Staten Island skatepark rolled up and down the concrete grooves, while storage boats passed under the Bayonne Bridge, visible from the benches facing the waterfront. It wasn’t until, like a strike of lightning, the first chords of NYC-based rock band Superfuture’s electric guitars broke the stagnant fall air, jolting excitement into the Port Richmond park and its enjoyers with their passionate pop-punk originals. This was “Female Centric Faber” — a celebration of culture and community — and an invitation for everyone, no matter their identity, to feel welcomed on the Island.

The festival, now in its second year, was established by community organizer Richard Rojas, a lifelong resident of Staten Island. After losing a friend to suicide, he was inspired to create a space where those who weren’t heard could be valued and appreciated. The event brings performers, creators and artists together for the mission of suicide prevention, while also giving underrepresented populations a platform. All of the donations and purchases from the festival were donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“Although it says ‘Female Centric Faber,’ it's an event that aims to shine light on all marginalized communities, including female and LGBTQ+,” Rojas said. “We're focused on trying to bring togetherness, and I think that's what you see at the event.”

The all-day event took place on the green of the park where vendors, artists and tables of merchandise surrounded the musical acts. The vendors were all female, and included crocheters, jewelry makers and visual artists showcasing their pieces. Members of bands manned stations of their own, promoting merchandise — one even inviting guests to spray-paint a band t-shirt of their own.

The five bands, all local to either the five boroughs of NYC or New Jersey, took to the stage, showcasing the scene’s array of pop-punk and rock sounds. Following SuperFuture, the first act of the lineup, The Parallel Lines, Bride Riot, Jacuzzi Fire and Pastel took the stage until sunset, all citing the cause that brought them all together.

SuperFuture — usually a four-piece — took momentary form as the duo of vocalist ___ and guitarist ___ due to illness. The band played Female Centric Faber last year, and were asked by Rojas to return in 2023. “It feels great to build community and play in spaces that cultivate individuality and talent, especially with other women and femmes,” the band wrote over email. “We like to follow and support all SI local bands, but there is definitely a special bond we share with the bands that feature women. It's great to see them perform and even better to see them celebrated.”

Working to find “the balance between mainstream and obscurity,” Superfuture covers an array of different artists — ranging from “The Weekend” by SZA to “Linger” by The Cranberries. The band incorporated their own music into their Faber set as well, including their newest single, ‘fuzzy,’ which they cite as one of their “sexier songs” amidst their mostly sad tracks.

Pamela Aliogta, the manager for The Parallel Lines, also became a part of the blossoming musical tradition after attending the first Female Centric Faber last year.

“It's beautiful watching the scene grow and seeing people who I never really thought I see in a mosh pit in a mosh pit,” she said. “People who don't really necessarily present as punk or seem like they'd be into that sort of music just let themselves go feeling safe in our little space we've created.”

Aliogta also crochets, and was able to set up a stand to vend at this year’s festival. She stayed up until late hours working on her creations — including apparel such as hats and tops — and by the end of the day, almost all of her 13 items were sold. “I just wasn't expecting that at all,” she said. I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll sell a hat or two,’ but it really gave me the confidence to continue because it's something that I genuinely enjoy.”

Staten Island-based photographer Laura Pannone worked as ‘Female Centric Faber’s’ art coordinator — gathering the bands, vendors and artists that supported the event’s message and making sure all attendees felt included in the day.

“I thought about interactive elements that everybody can do and having the community involved,” she said. “We came up with the idea of doing an interactive painting station and have them be involved in the community art piece.”

The “art in the park” station that Pannone operated invited guests to create their own work with paint on a square of blank paper. She views art-making as a helpful pause for when she gets overwhelmed, and wanted others to feel the same if they were facing any sort of social anxiety at the event. Along with this, she hoped the activity made attendees feel like they were a part of something. “The event was for suicide prevention,” she said. “I think even the smallest thing of getting the community involved in an art piece is going towards that message.”

Pannone also runs art bloc., a showcase at the Island’s Flagship Brewery which allows artists to network and share their work with others. In November 2022, she hosted a women’s show, filled with an all-female lineup of business owners, artists and musicians, in a similar vein of ‘Female Centric Faber.’ After feeling occasionally intimidated by being a woman in male-dominated industries, it made her feel empowered to be surrounded by others doing similar work on Staten Island.

“I think we need a stronger artistic community and more recognition for those artists,” she said. “I think finding your own community and the right people is important because there's that whole thing of like, ‘Staten Island people are trash,’ and that's actually not true. Like, I mean, there are people I questioned about on this island, but then you find your people and you're like, ‘Oh, no, this feels like home.’”